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Bugaboo Friends: Philip Andelman

Bugaboo Friends: Philip Andelman

2015-05-19 - Filmmaker and photographer Philip Andelman can usually be found bringing the songs of world-famous pop stars such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Lenny Kravitz to life, or documenting their lives and shows. Dividing his time between Woodstock, New York and Paris, France, Bugaboo hung out with the (almost) native Parisian in the French capital where 2-year old son Woody and wife Sarah are his subject of choice.

35mm

I started getting into film and photography very early, I got my first still camera when I was about six or seven years old, 110 film, and while I no longer have it, I still have many of the pictures I shot on it. My first motion camera was bought for me by my father for my 16th birthday, and yes, I still have it! I confess that sadly nowadays I use it primarily as a prop in my son’s bedroom. It wasn’t a reflex camera so you had to approximate what you were shooting, which made it too unreliable for professional shoots.

For personal work, I much prefer a still 35mm camera as it allows me to not think and just shoot instinctively, by myself. For work, I prefer moving image, be it 35mm or digital, because I like the teamwork aspect. Having a crew allows you to blame all your own shortcomings on others, which is comforting. Plus, it’s really fun to work and travel with all your friends.

Philip Andelman's Instagram pictures

All in a day’s work

Honestly, all shoots are memorable for different reasons. And some of the most memorable aren’t necessarily the best. Anytime I re-watch one of my projects it evokes the incredible lunch spot we discovered in Utah, the nightmare of building a boat to support a crane in Texas, a snowmobile tech-scout in Iceland, etc… I’m so fortunate to work with dear friends that these shoots wind up being life’s beautiful souvenirs rather than a day at the office. Watching a sunrise over the plains of Africa was a really special moment for me, just as special as going to Monument Valley and shooting the sunrise there.

The collaborations with people I really admire and the fact that every two weeks I can completely re-invent myself are what makes this work so enjoyable. Two weeks ago I was shooting a documentary commercial in a treehouse in Washington, last week I built wild sets on a soundstage in LA, and next week I get to have motorcycle crashes, people on fire and falling from the sky for another project. Basically, I get to dream stuff up and then a crew of fifty to seventy people go about re-creating my dreams. It’s the ultimate job in the world, and when it goes right, and what you see through the lens of the camera is exactly what you saw in your head while you were on your couch at home 4,000 miles away, well, it’s the most amazing feeling.

Home and away

I was born in Thailand, raised in Paris and moved to New York when I was ten. I’ve been in Paris for five years but the five years prior to that were spent in Woodstock New York, which is the closest approximation to a hometown for me now. We still have a place up there actually and it’s where I feel the most comfortable and “at home”. My wife and I both have very strong visual backgrounds; I would say that the Woodstock house is more representative of my tastes, while Paris reflects her impeccable style.

I’ve flown half way around the world for a two-hour work meeting, and half way around the world the other way to not miss a special birthday. You make priorities and sometimes I have to turn down a job and sometimes I have to miss a dinner party, but I hope ultimately that I get the best of both sides of life. When we’re in Paris we love cooking! While our son Woody isn’t quite ready to chop and dice just yet (he’s 2), he and my wife are the best recipe testers I’ve come across and I could spend hours prepping treats for them.

We also love a good stroll through the Palais Royal, Paris streets aren’t exactly broad swaths of smooth polished marble, and the Bugaboo Cameleon can traverse the deepest of ruts in the sidewalk, the steepest of curbs, and the bumpiest of cobblestones without rattling my child into jello. A friend of ours designed the new Warhol-inspired edition and it was a match made in heaven.

Loved by parents since 2005

January 07, 2019 - People

An icon from the start, the Bugaboo Cameleon has been helping families get out and explore for more than a decade. In this journal, parents from around the world share their Bugaboo love stories and tell us why the original stroller is the one for them.

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